General information

Research over the past decades provided convincing evidence that cancer patients and their informal caregivers have to deal with various physical, psycho-behavioural and social side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, negatively affecting quality of life (QoL). Particularly in understudied cancer populations such as head and neck cancer (HNC), little is known about the course of QoL, and its determinants across the disease-span. In addition, there is limited insight in the prognostic value of QoL on survival. This association can be influenced by various cancer-related, personal, biological, psycho-behavioural, lifestyle-related and social factors. Comprehensive insight in all these factors, assessed in a standardized manner is necessary to unravel these complex associations.

Objectives

The primary objective of NET-QUBIC is to describe the long term course of QoL in newly-diagnosed cancer patients and their informal caregivers and to identify cancer-related, personal, biological, psycho-behavioural, physical, lifestyle-related, and social determinants of QoL.

Secondary aims are

  • to investigate the association between QoL and survival in cancer patients, taking into account broadly defined cancer-related, personal, biological, psycho-behavioural, lifestyle-related, and social determinants;
  • to build predictive models for long term QoL and survival of cancer patients;
  • to determine whether the association between QoL and survival is direct or mediated by cancer-related, personal, biological, psycho-behavioural, lifestyle-related, and social factors;
  • to prospectively examine supportive care needs of patients and caregivers in all phases of the disease (from diagnosis to the terminal phase), and the association with the long-term course of QoL.

Method
NET-QUBIC is a longitudinal observational cohort study, following up on cancer patients and caregivers over 5 years. The first work package of NET-QUBIC will include 1500 newly-diagnosed  head and neck cancer patients and caregivers. These patients and caregivers will be recruited from 5 University Medical Centers in The Netherlands in Amsterdam, Groningen, Nijmegen, Utrecht, and Rotterdam and regional hospitals in Alkmaar and Leeuwarden.

Assessments will take place before the start of primary cancer treatment which is approximately 3 weeks after diagnosis (baseline), and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months follow-up. Disease specific and tumour specific QoL is assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-HN35, respectively. Cancer-related, personal, biological, psycho-behavioural, physical, lifestyle-related, and social factors will be assessed using patient reported outcomes, face-to-face interviews, medical examinations, and biological samples.

Duration of NET-QUBIC
2013-2024

Funding
Dutch Cancer Society (Alpe d’HuZes Foundation) (2013 -2021)
Dutch Cancer Society / Bas Mulder Award (2020-2024)

Staff

Principle investigators
Prof IM Verdonck-de Leeuw, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam
Dr F Jansen, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam
Biobank coordinator
Prof RH Brakenhoff, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam
Database coordinator
dr F Lamers, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam
Local Principal Investigators
Prof CR Leemans, Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam
Prof JA Langendijk, UMCG, Groningen
Prof R de Bree, UMCU, Utrecht
Prof RP Takes, Radboudumc, Nijmegen
dr JA Hardillo, ErasmusMC, Rotterdam
dr TJ Warmerdam, Noordwest Ziekenhuisgroep, location Alkmaar
dr EH van der Meij, Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden

Questions? 
data.netqubic@amsterdamumc.nl